Ayodhya
City Information
Ayodhya, an important pilgrim city
of India where it is believed that Lord Rama
was born and had many of his pastimes here.
On the right bank of the holy river Saryu,
as it is called within sacred precincts, stands
the holy city of Ayodhya, believed to be the
birth place of lord Rama, the seventh incarnation
of lord Vishnu. According to Atharvaveda,
Ayodhya is describes as "a city built
by gods and being as prosperous as paradise
itself". The illustrious Ikshvaku of
the solar clan (suryavamsa) was the ruling
dynasty of this region.
During the Gupta period (200-400 AD approximately).
Emperor Vikramaditya. and some of his successors.
tried to restore its past glory. Ayodhya has
given its name to the region Avadh, which
extends from Varanasi to Lucknow and figured
very prominently between 17th and the 19th
centuries. Nawabs of Avadh constructed many
important structures in Faizabad, an adjoining
city of Ayodhya.
At Ayodhya several religions have grown
and prospered simultaneously and also at different
periods of time in the past. Remnants of Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism and Islam can still be found
in Ayodhya. According to Jain belief, five
tirthankaras were born at Ayodhya, including
Adinath (Rishabhadeva), the first tirthankar.
Main
Sightseeing of Aurangabad
Rama Janmabhumi : This
is the place where Lord Rama was believed
to have taken birth. There is a small Lord
Rama temple here. At this location there
used to be the Babri Moseque, which was
constructed in the 15th century by the Moghuls.
The mosque was destroyed in 1992, and at
the present time there are plans to built
a grand Rama Temple here.
Ramkot : The chief place
of worship in Ayodhya is the site of the
ancient citadel of Ramkot, which stands
on an elevated ground in the western part
of the city. Although visited by pilgrims
through out the year, this sacred place
attracts devotees from all over India and
abroad, on 'Ramnavami', the day of the lord's
birth, which is celebrated with great pomp
and show, in the Hindu month of Chaitra
(March-April).
Hanuman Garhi : Situated
in the centre of the town, this temple is
approachable by a flight of 76 steps. Legend
has it that Hanuman lived here, in a cave
and guarded the Janmabhoomi or Ramkot. The
main temple contains the statue of Anjani,
with child Hanuman, seated on her lap. The
devotees believe that all their wishes will
be granted with a visit to this holy shrine.
A massive structure in the shape of a four-sided
fort with circular bastions at each corner
, houses a temple of Hanuman and is the
most popular shrine in Ayodhya.
Nageshwarnath Temple : The
temple of Nageshwarnath is said to have
been established by Kush, the son of Rama.
Legend has it that Kush lost his armlet,
while bathing in the river Saryu, which
was picked up by a nag-kanya, who fell in
love with him. As she was a devotee of Shiva,
Kush erected this temple for her. It is
said that this is the only temple to have
survived till the time of Vikramaditya,
the rest of city had fallen into ruins and
was covered by dense forests.
Maniparvat : Stands about
65 feet high, & some scholars think
it to be of Buddhist origin. According to
legends, it was while Hanuman was carrying
the hill bearing the Sanjeevani Booti (herb)
for Lakshman's wounds from Himalayas on
way to Lanka, a portion broke off and fell
in Ayodhya and this is that very mound.
Jain Shrines : There are
also several Jain temples at Ayodhya, as
it is said to be the birth place of five
Tirthankaras. Kesari Singh, the treasurer,
of Nawab Faizabad, built five shrines to
mark the birth place of these Trithankaras,
which bear the date of Vikram Samvat 1781.
The temple of Adinath is near the Swargdwar,
while the Anantanath temple stands on the
Gola Ghat & Sumantanath shrine is at
Ramkot.
Tulsi Smarak Bhawan : Built
in memory of the poet Goswami Tulsidas,
this monument is used for prayer meetings,
religious seremons and discussions, and
the singing of devotional songs (Bhajans
and Kirtans). It also house the Ayodhya
Shodh Sansthan where a large collection
of literary works of Swami Tulsidas can
be seen. A cultural centre of performing
Arts, also function here. Ramkatha Museum:
The Ramkatha Museum, set up at Ayodhya since
1988, in engaged in collection, preservation
and conservation of antiquities retaled
to the story of Rama.
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Excursions
from Ayodhya
Faizabad : Situated 7 kms
away from Ayodhya. The city was founded by
Ali Vardi Khan, nawab of Bengal (1676-1756)
in 1730. The foundation of Faizabad was laid
by Saadat Khan, the second Nawab of Awadh.
His successor Shuja-ud-daula made it the capital
of Awadh. Faizabad as a township, developed
about 220 years ago. Safdar Jang, the second
nawab of Avadh (1739-54), made it as his military
headquarters. His successor Suja-ud-daula
built a fort here.
The Nawabs graced Faziabad
with several beautiful buildings, notable
among them are the Gulab Bari, Moti
Mahal and the tomb of Bahu Begum.
Gulab Bari is a beautiful building of fine
architecture, standing in a garden surrounded
by a wall, approachable through two large
gateways. These buildings are particularly
interesting for their assimilative architectural
styles.
Bara Banki : It is 107
kms from Ayodhya, an small town which is famous
for the mausoleum of a Sufi Saint, Syed Haji
Ali Waris Shah, 13 km from the town held in
esteem by people of all religions. A fusion
of Indo-Iranian architecture, it was built
in 1905 AD.
Gonda : Gonda is famoud
for temple of Devi Patan. It is around 44
kms away from Ayodhya. To the left of the
temple is a tank which, according to legend,
was made by Karn of the Mahabharata in honour
of his father, the Sun god.
How
to reach?
By Air : The nearest airport for
Ayodhya is in Lucknow-134 kms and Allahabad
- 166 kms.
By Train : Ayodhya is situated on
the broad gauge Northern Railway line on Mughal
Sarai – Lucknow main route.
By Road : Ayodhya is well connected
with major cities and towns by National Highways.
Some important cities distances from
Ayodhya are given below :
Lucknow : 134 kms, Gorakhpur : 132 kms,
Allahabad : 166 kms, Sravasti : 109 kms and
Varanasi is 209 kms.
